Can you relate to these difficulties?

Yes I suppose it's like "where do I start?  Which bits are important?" and getting things in the right order. Because of this, I'm no good at anecdotes either.

Nice to meet you too. I'm not sure how I feel about small talk. I do like it with strangers like at the bus stop for example. Or elderly people. But there are no commitments in those situations. It's more with people I know well where it's an effort.

Yes I am very much the same. I've often been left at awe wondering how people can have so much to say about themselves when I have very little to say about myself, something that has never changed. Whereas people at school and my own family can talk seemingly endlessly about themselves. It is a head scratcher! 

Well done on learning how to start small talk. That is something I am still trying to do and struggle with. Usually if I'm asked a question I will give as short an answer as possible.

Nice to meet you out of step.

I can relate to not being able to relay the plot of films/ TV. Quite often I'll mention I watched something.. then when questioned about what happened or specific parts, I'll be.. Um... er ... Can't remember... Almost like I was lying and didn't watch it. 

Can relate to the talking about yourself bit. I do wonder how on earth people find some much to talk about with themselves. It's easier just to listen to others than try and formulate my own thing sometimes. I also have always got the sense that people aren't much interested in my life but I think I'm missing giving something off so they don't enquire further. I learnt to ask people questions about themselves but notice a lot of the time others dont do this to me. I have come to expect this of others because it's how I communicate. However I've learned that they offer up information with the expectation that I will take the initiative to enquire further if  I want to. I find this difficult to do myself. I'm learning more about double empathy and it's really opening my eyes that we have a different style of communication rather than a deficit.

Also when people ask me an open question like "how's work?" I find this difficult as there are so many aspects and I used to just think it was an exchange of information so would give a short anwer. But I've come to learn it's opening up small talk or a "route in" to something.

Re books and films, I do have difficulty following films and usually just end up switching off while my partner conitnues to watch. I will say that, I quite often can predict someone's intentions very well in films (however this doesn't happen in real-world time). I remember at a point in my life sometime where I noticed other people were able to describe about a film when asked "what's it about?" I have real difficulty with descrbing the gist or plot of a book or film. I think it's because autistic people are more detail orietntated rather than bigger picture driven.

Sorry its a bit of a prattle on but I just wanted to add my two penneth. It doesn't really relate to the original post.

Is that the same for everything else? "How was your day?", "How was work?" ... If you meet someone out, and you want to small talk, does it work?

Are there situations where you socially don't shut down?

The words, tell us something interesting about yourself just make my brain shut down

I always put it down as Autism though I had anxiety back then as well, pressure from school triggered that no problem on a daily basis. For me I think it was mostly Autism. I was shy but it was more than shyness. Other kids in class were shy as well but managed to quietly say what they had done to the class, they clearly didn't want to but still did it. I on the other hand never managed a single word! 

I understand your struggle. It's hard. It was hard at school and it's hard now. Mind goes blank and you just stand there in an awkward silence.

Isn't this social anxiety or shyness? I know many had this issue, but not having autism. I wasn't shy or nervous, but when asked like how was your weekend, I just couldn't find the words to form a story, like I didn't remember how my weekend was, even though probably I did something exciting worth telling. But it's like this all the time, friends or family members asking me, how was your day etc. I just struggle ...

It was the same for me, nervous and nearly broke down when asked to talk in class. And I remember teachers saying introduce yourself and the dreaded tell everyone what you did this week.. I was the same as you, my mind went blank every time and I just stood there.

If I had been left alone in school it would have been a lot more bearable.

I’ve just posted about panic attacks and this is the exact situation which triggers me 

I can relate to having to read stuff out in class, was a nervous wreck and found it torturous. Also hate when someone says....so introduce yourself and tell us something interesting about yourself, most people would think of something funny but my mind just goes blank. 

Hi, I  get some of  your situation. And have similar questions tbc on whether I have autism/other/combination of things.

This describes very well some of my experiences, I am.in the process of assessment/diagnosis in my 40s.

I became very aware and started to get very self conscious of my limited socialuzing/conversational skills as a teenager (probably when everyone started having parties), and  avoided potential  relationships in my 20s snd 30s even where gitls flirted/made things obvious they were interested. It has been difficult/impossible to maintain 'real' friendships.When I did try to socialize, I would need to make lists of things to say/scripts, but that never worked well for very long. 

I am fairly ntelligent/good at my job when focused in the moment,  but terrible at recall of simple things/what has happened today or  remembering details of what someone has just said, and can not recall anecdotes/have free flowing conversation. My head will go blank and stay very quiet, regressing into simple 'yes' or 'ah, ok', and I feel a need to get way and be on my own as I become very self conscious snd anxious/embarrassed. I personally find I can get so anxious about something I need to try and say at dome point, that I am not able to really 'hear' what someone is saying right now/adapt a conversation and change direction like 'normal' people.

Somehow, I am much more articulate when I can sit and write things down, and that is a trait I seem to sense from some others who have been formally diagnosed with autism. I also find it easier to really understand/empathise with others when I can read what they say.

Hi, I  get some of  your situation. And have similar questions tbc on whether I have autism/other/combination of things.

This describes very well some of my experiences, I am.in the process of assessment/diagnosis in my 40s.

I became very aware and started to get very self conscious of my limited socialuzing/conversational skills as a teenager (probably when everyone started having parties), and  avoided potential  relationships in my 20s snd 30s even where gitls flirted/made things obvious they were interested. It has been difficult/impossible to maintain 'real' friendships.When I did try to socialize, I would need to make lists of things to say/scripts, but that never worked well for very long. 

I am fairly ntelligent/good at my job when focused in the moment,  but terrible at recall of simple things/what has happened today or  remembering details of what someone has just said, and can not recall anecdotes/have free flowing conversation. My head will go blank and stay very quiet, regressing into simple 'yes' or 'ah, ok', and I feel a need to get way and be on my own as I become very self conscious snd anxious/embarrassed. I personally find I can get so anxious about something I need to try and say at dome point, that I am not able to really 'hear' what someone is saying right now/adapt a conversation and change direction.

Somehow, I am much more articulate when I can sit and write things down, and that is a voom trait I seem to sense from others who have been diagnosed with autism. I also find it easier to realky understand/empathise with others when I can read what they say.

Hello. I am understanding of your difficulties with social interaction, I am the exact same. I can hear others talk endlessly about themselves and what they did that day but I can't do what they do. I try but I guess I can't process it in to words. 

I remember at my education complex I had to stand up and read out in front of the entire class. I couldn't do it. I managed a few words but it was embarrassment. Most laugh at me and I got detention because my tutor thought I was being difficult intentional. Even though I wasn't.

With my Autism I see some details and obsess them but not with people or social interaction. I have never been any good at that and I don't think ever will be. 

Another thing I can't process well is books and films. I lose the plot and can't focus on what is happening and has already happened. I end up confused and not know where I am in it.

With Autism we all have difference but I know a lot of us are experience similar thing.

I'm bumping this ... I have read countless threads, but haven't got through any that pinpoints what autism is, or exactly how it manifests itself among the posters. Likewise, I know it's a broad spectrum, so it makes it difficult to understand or feel related to some or more aspects of it. 

Another thing to mention is, I started to experience this around the age of 13 when we started playing chess in school. Chess, writing novels, painting etc. things that require cognitive performance, got me depressed when doing. After a chess game, I could feel strongly depressed for 2-3 days, before getting back to normality. I don't know why my brain can't handle tasks that require the brain to think or solve things out of its normal state, like my brain is not made, or that some functions of my brain don't work it that way that requires cognitive thinking and solving. When it comes to sports, my motor skills are exceptional, much better than the normals. I'm superb at all sports and was always outperforming my teammates, friends, schoolmates, in soccer, tennis, handball ... 

I was always more interested in adults, listening to adults or playing with friends older than me. It was more structured, more rules, more responsibility. Friends in my age or younger, behaved quite immature when playing. 

My issue is as mentioned social skills, information I hear/see it's like it just passes me by. My friend can talk for hours about his day, how it was at work, what he did/said. He can talk about experiences and story tell them. I can't, I don't know why. My grandma didn't speak the language in the country she resided, but when she was watching the TV, say an animal program, she was constantly commenting what she saw. Me, knowing the language and having much higher IQ and knowledge was watching the same thing, but nothing happened in my brain, basically I didn't see what she was seeing. This way, how can I talk about something when no process goes around in the brain? I really don't know why it's like this, and why I have this. They say having autism, you are excellent at seeing the details. I'm awful at seeing both the details and the whole picture.